Blissdom Canada 2014 Here I Come! (#BlissdomCA)

Blissdom Canada 2014 starts tomorrow and I’m all packed and ready to go! Took the day off work today to prepare, not that one day was enough. I could have used a few more hours today. That said, I ran a bunch of errands, picked up some accessories for the #TBT party, got all my outfits and shoes together, and shoved everything in to the biggest suitcase I own, because… Blissdom swag, and made sure the family has some prepped food ready to go.

I’ve been drafting this post in my head for days, not really sure how to describe my anticipation at attending the conference this year. This will be my 4th Blissdom and I look forward to it every year. I save for it all year long, sacrificing pretty much all of my discretionary spending in order to have enough cash on hand to buy my ticket and stay at the hotel for the duration of the conference. My budget all year long is tight, and it’s worth it.

Blissdom is the one place I can go to be with my people, my tribe, the people who get me. I don’t have many IRL friends, mostly just past friends and current acquaintances, and my introverted self is ok with that. But getting to spend a few days out of the year coming out of my shell (just a little) and immersing myself in a world that I totally understand, one that’s separate from the me that is the mother, wife, and worker bee, there are no words that can describe how much this means to me.

This weekend is all about me, it has to be. I give so much of myself to my family. Everything else I do in my life is for my family. Blissdom, that’s for me. I can go, be me, recharge, make friends, relax, have fun, be awesome in a way that I can’t at work or at home.

The me at Blissdom is 100% the real me. The me that I put aside when I’m at work, when I’m with my family. It feels good to just let it all go for a few days. Blissdom helps me recharge so that I’m all set to be the me I need to be for everyone else for another year.

I do feel guilty for leaving the hubs home alone with the kids. I know how hard it is to manage the kids what with all the picking ups and dropping offs, mealtimes etc. I try to make the process as easy as possible for him by prepping some meals in advance and arranging for alternate care when kid commuting interferes with his work schedule. I really do feel bad leaving him to handle the daily stuff on his own… I’m constantly reminding myself that he’ll be fine, they’ll be fine, they always are when I take my yearly break. But still, the guilt…

But no matter the guilt, I have to go to Blissdom every year, if for nothing else than to take care of me for a few days. It’s pretty much the only extravagant thing I do for myself all year-long. So this is me, shaking off the guilt and packing my bags.